Team New Zealand sank to a new low in a bid to oust the Swiss Alinghi syndicate from the America's Cup by suggesting - without formal substantiation - that illegal performance-enhancing drugs had been used by some members of the sailing team. The New Zealand syndicate employed a private detective, an ex-policeman, to investigate its charges.

It alleged that members of the Swiss winch-grinding team had been seen entering the premises of the Men's Health Clinic in the suburb of Remuera, and, according to staff members at the clinic, had received growth-hormone injections.

Despite the report, no formal complaint has been made and there is no sugges tion that the allegations have any substance.

The drug alleged to have been injected is the somatropin recombinant human-growth hormone marketed under the trade name Saizen, It is a product of Serono, the pharmaceutical giant controlled by Ernesto Bertarelli, the head of the Alinghi syndicate.

Britain's Bryan Willis, head of the International Jury for the Cup confirmed that he had been informed by Team New Zealand of the allegations, but that it had not been a formal complaint, but more in the mode of information, a style of notification not uncommon in the event when a syndicate believes another is in breach of the rules.

During the elimination races and in the Cup races, random tests have been car ried out on sailors by the New Zealand Drug Agency on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Authority. It has been part of the normal drug-testing programme and all Alinghi team members had tested negative.

Willis stated: 'I need to stress that random drug tests have been operating, and no one from the Alinghi team, or any other syndicate, has returned a positive test for any type of drug.' He added that the onus of proof of illegal usage of drugs had been with Team New Zealand, and that this team had later contacted him to say it had not found any such evidence and that the matter would be dropped.

An Alinghi spokesman said the team was furious at the allegations after being questioned by the private detective employed by Team New Zealand, and that the syndicate's lawyer was contemplating legal action against anyone suggesting involvement by Alinghi team members with drugs. 'It is a smear campaign.'

Dr Johan Wilson, who owns the Men's Health Clinic, said that the private detective had accused him of supplying growth hormones to the Alinghi sailing team. He said he had not been involved in the sailing scene but had been a supporter of Team New Zealand.

With Alinghi's challenge from Switzerland on match point for the America's Cup, the fickle breezes on the Hauraki Gulf conspired, along with the archaic rules governing the event, to produce another abandonment, the eleventh day in 15 that there has been no racing.